Actually, it is. Not to be argumentative, but it seems like it's more complicated if you haven't been through it because you're worried about lots of things that you can't do anything about. Seriously, it's A LOT easier to let go of your anger/frustration than you may realize. You can be there for her and still be empathetic and offer her advice/an ear without getting worked up. Part of the way I deal with it, is just by having came to terms with the fact that sometimes they just need someone to listen to them and they will not always take advice. Some people just need to make that mistake to get it through their heads; just be sure to be there for her when she needs you, make yourself available (if you're not already).

It sounds like she's just very needy and really wants the attention. If all she needs is someone to vent to, then just let her vent... and encourage her to try different things. Practice being patient. And if she does repeat the same complaints, just point them out to her, ask her why things aren't changing, why things don't seem to be getting better, etc. Maybe hearing you say that she's going in circles would help to put it into perspective for her.

You also have to just come to terms with the fact that you can't control everything. You can only help so much; you can listen and give your opinion, but unless this takes a turn for the worse (like if she's getting into drugs, fights, etc.), then you'd need to take more drastic measures if you care about her. In the meantime, you could also try to spend more time with her, just hanging out to get her in a positive environment and hopefully it'll rub off on her little by little. Maybe even introducing her to some of your other friends to help her become a little bit more social and comfortable. But you can't control how she thinks or how other people are going to affect her, just do your job as her friend and be there for her - that's all you can do.

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